Calaster
Sir Calaster Minahe, also known as the Mage Knight, the Grey Owl, or Sir Calaster the Kind, was a knight of Gilsdern and powerful wizard born in the Second Age. He was one of the legendary eight knights who founded the Order of the Wolf, as well as the co-founder of the colleges of magic with Sir Erkinazan. He participated in the final battle against Tia'mat and ascended to godhood with his other knights in order to seal Tia'mat in the abyss. He now serves as the patron deity of the wizards and sorcerers of Cairdeas. However, he does serve a more general role as the god of magic, as well as the god of scholarly pursuits. His worship is strongest in his native Gilsdern. Life and Role Calaster was born in the then united kingdom of Gilsdern, to the southwest of Cairdeas, in the year 3785 of the Second Age. Born to a lesser noble house, Calaster demonstrated his magical aptitude at a young age, using it to levitate his parents when he was only 2 years old. From there he became a famous figure in the region, being called upon to perform magic in numerous courts across the land. Upon turning 17, he went to study at the Eldritch Academy where he became rivals with the other magical prodigy at the school Erkinazan Zurral. Acting very much as the orderly and controlled Ying, to Erkinazan's eldritch and wild yang the two soon developed a strong friendship that would see them well in the wars to come. Before finishing his studies at the Academy, he was called home. The kingdom of Gilsdern had erupted into a civil war, after a faction led by the notorious Count Gran had taken the important port city of Mastin. He had declared himself king, and intended to starve the country until his demands were met. His demands were simple. He wanted to be king. His household force was bolstered by pirates that usually raid Mastin but were paid off, as well as foreign mercenaries from the northern kingdom of Mordvinia. Mastin was seemingly impregnable, and none of the royal forces were able to breach its gates, and without access to the trade brought in by the port, and due to the isolated nature imposed on the kingdoms by the dragon Empress Tia'mat, Gilsdern was beginning to starve. Calaster returned to help bolster the King's army, and immediately got to work devising a strategy to breach Mastin's walls. In the dead of night, on the ninetieth night of the siege, he conjured a great spell of complete silence over the city. Not a sound could be heard, although the garrison hadn't noticed. Most of them were sleeping, drunk on success and the seeming inability of the royal force to breach the walls. In this silence, the King sent sappers over the walls, who had the gates open within the hour. As the royal army swept through the city, the defenders still could not hear a thing. Many a shocked rebel awoke to find royal spears pointed at them. In an instance the kingdom was saved, and Calaster earned himself a knighthood. Not only that, but he was personally knighted by the King, as well as made the official mage of the royal court. He returned to the Academy to finish his studies, but Calaster's true battle was yet to commence. After the shocking incident of the slaughter of Mordvinian citizens by the dragonic vice roys of the kingdom, Calaster like many in the Dragonic Empire was shocked by the brutality of the massacre. By this time, he had long completed his studies, and was now one of the most respected mages in the empire, as well as the Grand Master of the Eldritch Academy. Erkinazan had left some time ago, and he had not heard of his friend, apart from the foul rumours that seemed to surround him. He had also heard the rumours of the rogue knights Aquillonius and Owenidus, but paid not attention to it, instead focusing on developing his magical abilities, who were now increasingly under the scrutiny of the dragonic vice roys of Gilsdern. He in many instances saw them as nuisances, only serving to further destabilize the empire, and its kingdoms for the vain hope of overthrowing the Dragon Queen. To be sure, Calaster had no love of the dragons, but he did love order. He was kind, and during his time spent in the Mastin war had grown to see just how much the smallfolk suffer in times of war. If the dragons kept the peace and smallfolk fed, who was he to desire anything more. Suddenly one day, a mysterious robed figure arrived at the steps of the Academy. Erkinazan had returned. Initially the reunion was as one would expect. They each told stories, and caught up on old times. Erkinazan had changed however, becoming a far more chaotic magic user, proving the rumours to be true. Calaster was further troubled when Erkinazan revealed to him, that he had thrown in his lot with the rebellious knights. Erkinazan's visit was motivated by more than just friendship, he had come to recruit Calaster to the rebel cause. Calaster initially rebuked his friend, scoffing at both the idea of defeating Tia'mat or engaging in a full scale civil war. Erkinazan left, sorrowful at his friend's refusal. However, Calaster would undergo a change of heart after the massacre of Graum. A small village in Gilsdern, had as Calaster found out, been burned and sacked by Red Dragons, and the imperial army. Their crime? Being unable to pay the increasingly grinding tax levied upon them. Locked high in his tower away from Gilsdern, Calaster had grown ignorant of the sorry state of the empire. The lands were being ground dry by the dragonic appetite and the smallfolk were growing increasingly incapable of meeting their voracious appetites. If they could not, the dragons merely took to eating them. After such a shocking act commited in his native kingdom, he decided he would give Erkinazan another chance. Sending a raven calling Erkinazan to meet him at the Humberford, with the knights Aquillonius, Owenidus, and Cameriddion. After a persuasive argument by Aquillonius and Erkinazan, Calaster agreed to join the rebellion. They swore a bond of friendship in victory and defeat, and thus the Order of the Wolf was founded, and a mere rebellion turned into an open declaration by all of the kingdoms, that they would suffer Dragonic tyranny no longer. It was initially agreed that Calaster would rally the people of Gilsdern, while Aquillonius, Owenidus, and Erkinazan rode north to rally the great northern hosts of the Mordvinian. However he did not know, that at Gilsdern the hammer blow would fall hardest. After rallying many nobles of Gilsdern, and gathering his strength at Mastin, the imperial army advanced upon the city. This time, Calaster found himself on the other side of Mastin's walls during siege. Many of his wizarding students had also come to his aid, and they braced themselves. The red dragons led by the ferocious elder dragon Tindalore, began to burn the city. Using the nearby source of water, the wizards led by Calaster worked quickly to put out any fires set by the dragons. Casting shields and various other conjurations to defend the walls. It was at this time that Owenidus, Aquillonius and Erkinazan were sweeping through the countryside rallying their army. But if Mastin fell, Gilsdern would fall. If that happened, all but one of the kingdoms of the empire would be left to face Tia'mat, and they needed Mastin's port and Gilsdern's imperial might. Through dogged determination, Calaster, his mages, and the army managed to hold the city. After two brutal months of siege, finally Aquillonius and the other knights arrived from the north with the full might of Mordvinia, and in a swift flanking action, routed the imperial army laying siege to Mastin. Calaster had held out, and was relieved to see his friends. This was the second victory over the Dragonic armies, and now Gilsdern and Modrvinia were standing fast against the dragon lord. The war would last years, and eventually Calaster would join the other seven knights at the final battle of the ''Deidread Cath. ''After their defeat of Tia'mat, he along with his seven knightly companions would give their lives to seal Tia'mat in the abyss forever, and in the process he along with the others ascended to the pantheon of Cairdeas. Eventually becoming the most worshipped gods due to their achievements, with Calaster becoming the patron diety of most of wizardy, and his efforts along with Erkinazan laid the foundations, for the modern colleges of magic. He died in the year 3834 of the Second Age, with his death and that of the other knights, marking year 1, of the Third Age. Godhood Calaster represents the orderly and natural side of Wizardry. This is in contrast to the other main deity of magic, his former friend Erkinazan. He however remains the more mainstream deity of magic, as his is the dominte idea of natural magic attained through scholarship and talent, rather than profane or unatural means. He also serves as the patron deity of universities and scholarly goals, with many praying to him for knowledge and inspiration. His holy symbol is commonly depicted as a magical spellbook or that of the magical Harp of Cairdeas. His deific color is grey, and the animal most closely associated with him is the owl, with many believing owls serve as his eyes and ears in the material world, ever watchful for the corrupting forces of the chaotic magic of the lower planes.